Inching along

[Old Hooker]

So there is this abandoned recreational lake and the "public" agencies are squabbling over who gets all the PROFITS if it's reopened?

If the operation of Irvine Lake had been all that profitable, they would have bankrupted around the big legal judgment and then selected among several competing vendors. Know why that never happened? Because while Irvine Lake could marginally sustain itself, it was hardly rivaling Amazon and Microsoft.

If the lake is going to reopen, it will be a struggle reopening after so many years of neglect and substantial money will have to be advanced to get the facilities ready for prime time. IF there are any profits after the vendor payments, for at least the first few years, they need to be reinvested into the recreational area. With responsible bag limits based on species and size, pre-paid priority tickets through Ticketron for weekends and some assistance from the local biology students at UCI, CSUF, Chapman etc., this could turn into a public version of Lake Barrett in San Diego.

The answer is to have the County run the lake as a non-profit. The Water Districts can deduct their "contributions" so they can be reinvested. The water companies can then self-promote by plastering their names all over the area for community good will and positive advertising. Having spent many years litigating with intractable water agencies, offer to name coves after the President of each water district and they will beg to participate.

If oil or gold is suddenly discovered in the parking lot, THEN fight over profits.